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Ho and Packer target Macau's VIPs

James Packer and Lawrence Ho have shifted their focus in Asian gambling hub Macau from middle-class gamblers to high-rollers and VIPs.

The move came after the $524 million (£262 million) Crown Macau flopped when it was opened in May 2007, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

Just three months after its opening, the pair decided to gut the casino, removing two-thirds of the low-limit tables and four-fifths of the slot machines.

The space was then used to target high-rollers who would spend more than $130,000 in each visit.

"Before, Crown Macau couldn't even break even," Billy Ng, a Hong Kong-based analyst, remarked.

"Now it looks like it's making a profit," he added.

Crown is now applying this tactic to the new $2.1 billion resort development, City of Dreams, which is being built in Macau's Cotai district.

As well as being an attractive destination for Asian gamblers, Macau recently was the home of Team GB in the run up to the Beijing Olympic Games.